Amanda Beard Joins With Defenders of Wildlife to Save the Dolphins

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 4. FOUR-TIME Olympic medalist Amanda Beard is urging Americans to join a campaign to help save dolphins.

In a television public service announcement released nationwide by Defenders of Wildlife, Beard tells
viewers that efforts are underway to loosen the standards for the dolphin-safe tuna label allowing dolphin-deadly tuna to be sold as dolphin-safe tuna.

"In 1990," Beard states, "the dolphin-safe label on cans of tuna was adopted to indicate that safer fishing practices were being used and it reduced dolphin deaths by 97 percent. But now this program is in serious danger of being weakened to allow dolphin-deadly tuna to be imported and sold with the dolphin-safe label. It's a change that would mean death to many thousands more of these playful and intelligent mammals."

In fact, to date, millions of dolphins have died in tuna nets in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean.

Beard urges viewers: "Let's not let this happen. Join me and Defenders of Wildlife to once more help save the dolphins."

She notes that more information is available at: www.SaveDolphins.org.

"We're thrilled that Amanda Beard has joined our campaign to help save dolphins," said William J. Snape, chief counsel at Defenders of Wildlife. "The
dolphin is a charismatic creature that has won over the hearts and minds of millions of people, and we're working to do all we can to make sure they arent
killed when fishermen search for tuna."

Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. To stay current on dolphin issues and other hot topics in wildlife conservation, subscribe to DENlines, Defenders of Wildlife's electronic update and action alert network.

To subscribe to DENlines or for more information on Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.